BeansTALK! A Beantown Bedding Blog

This article originally appeared in The News Record, University of Cincinnati's independent, student-run newspaper. Access the full article here.

Recycling and eco-friendly living have grown popular in the U.S. over the past couple of decades. As scientific research about pollution rolls in, people have become more conscious about their choices, from biking to work to carrying a refillable bottle.

Living sustainably may seem like an unreachable goal for college students — especially those who live in dorms, where it often feels like every decision has already been made.

So, what can students do to decrease their carbon footprint? Check out the list below for some tips on how to live more eco-consciously.

Reconsider your method of transportation

If you want to live sustainably, be mindful about the transportation options you choose. Biking, walking and ride-sharing are all great ways to reduce your carbon footprint. The university even offers bike rentals for students through the Bike Kitchen, located at 101 W Daniels St. on the University of Cincinnati’s Uptown campus.

"We have a fleet of about 26 bikes that are free,” said Daniel Hart, sustainability coordinator at UC Sustainability. “It’s called the Bearcat Bike Share for students, staff, and faculty to check out [bikes] for up to a week.”

This article was written by Gwen Elise, Author at Student Caffe, and originally appeared on the Student Caffe Blog, a place to explore realtopics relating to students.

When I was a college sophomore, an acquaintance of mine from the adjacent dorm building noticed nasty bites all over his body. He assumed that whatever he was going through was an isolated incident—spider bites, maybe—but what he didn’t know was that other residents in the building were also being bitten at night. By the time they banded together and figured out that bedbugs had moved into their dorm, the ruthless little creatures had taken over the top two floors of the building. The word got out, and soon everyone at school knew about the infestation. “Don’t go in there,” we nonresidents would whisper ominously to each other when we walked past the place. “That dorm has bedbugs.”

Few outbreaks are feared more by college students than bedbugs. Not only are they keen to spread and difficult to treat, but bedbugs come with a social stigma. We think of them as indicators of filthy homes and dirty dorm rooms, but it’s not nearly that simple. So, what is the deal with bedbugs, and more importantly, how do you deal with them if you have them? Good questions. Let’s start from the beginning.

This time of year college students fill the football stadiums, rush fraternities and sororities, and of course, study for exams—but they’re not hanging out in the laundry room!

No one knows this better than Beantown Bedding Co-Founders Joan Ripple and Kirsten Lambert, two moms who learned that most college kids get a failing grade when it comes to washing their bed sheets. Their solution? Laundry-Free Linens®...biodegradable bed sheets that can be composted or discarded instead of laundered.

How do sleep patterns impact students’ academic studies? A University Registrar recently looked into this topic when he began to study the phenomenon known as “social jet lag”.

"[Researchers] Schirmer and Smarr analyzed two years of Northeastern student data and determined that a majority of students experience a misalignment between their natural internal rhythms and their school environment, known as social jet lag (SJL). In an academic setting, that could be a student whose internal timing is that of a night owl, but who has to wake up early twice a week for an 8 a.m. class. The study—the largest survey of real-world student SJL ever published—concluded that more SJL correlated to poorer academic performance (which, unfortunately, appears relevant for most students)."

Are you looking for a holiday gift for your favorite traveler, Airbnb host, camper or college student? Now there's a way to provide clean sheets without the laundry! Beantown Bedding's Laundry-Free Linens® are the first and only product of its kind, offering the comfort of washable sheets with the convenience of disposables. These biodegradable bed sheets may be used for days or weeks and simply discarded or composted instead of laundered. How's that for a gift that keeps on giving?

It’s indeed that time of year again! For many college students, returning to school is full of excitement. And if you’re embarking on your freshman year? Even better! This is your time to head out of the house and into the world!

College is a new chapter filled with different people, countless things to learn and experiences that will shape you for the rest of your life. But what’s lacking in college? Plenty of spare time! Lucky for you, Beantown Bedding has you covered with our list of Dorm Room Essentials to Save You Time. Don’t let the start of a busy semester get the better of you. When you’re away from home, a few tricks and time savers can make a very big difference in the dorm.

As high school graduation season approaches, one of the biggest questions for friends and family is what to get the soon-to-be college freshman in their lives. It's hard to find a gift that's unique, shows that you care and will actually be used (rather than left back home on a shelf collecting dust.)

Beantown Bedding’s Laundry-Free Linens® are the ultimate graduation gift—clean sheetswithout the laundry. The only product of its kind, these sheets are made from plants, are incredibly soft and comfortable, and last for weeks. They're also hypoallergenic and free of chemicals and dyes. Best of all, they're completely compostable which means they’re disposable without the guilt! Laundry-Free Linens® break down completely and return to nature in as little as two weeks.

Let’s face it, college kids don’t take the time to wash their dirty sheets. There are just way too many better things to do with their time, like go to class (seriously!), participate in extracurriculars, work out and most importantly…socialize! Freshman year in particular is a whirlwind and the last thing college kids want to do is spend their time in the laundry room. Unfortunately, dirty sheets become breeding grounds for dust mites, allergens and bacteria—making them welcome mats for the latest dorm infestation. Sick kids mean missed classes, and it all goes downhill from there.

Three days before my son was scheduled to leave for college 300 miles away, it hit me that it meant he would actually no longer be living with us. One less place setting on the dinner table and an empty bed upstairs. I burst into tears at this sudden revelation and wondered how I hadn’t thought about this before. What was I thinking all summer long as we excitedly shopped the back to school lists, making sure he had everything and anything he could possibly ever need for the rest of his life. I must have been in a state of denial thinking that even though he was going to college, he would still be home for dinner and sleep in his own bed every night. Needless to say I cried for two days straight.

Hiding my emotional collapse from the rest of the family was not easy, but with the unexpected heart-pounding realization that my life would never be the same again, I felt helpless. In a weak attempt, I froze teaspoons to use on my puffy eyes and had to wear my old eye glasses—the ones I got when I was in college with the loose lens that fell out whenever I looked down—because my contacts kept getting clouded up from the tears. Hopefully, no one noticed.

Clean Sheets. No Laundry!

Laundry-Free Linens® are easy and eco-friendly! These innovative disposable sheets are remarkably comfortable and last for weeks. Simply use and discard. They're 100% Biobased, biodegradable and even compostable!